Will ExxonMobil and Peabody Coal Chu up the New Energy Secretary?

onDec 11, 2008 @ 16:38 PST

President-elect Obama has chosen Steven Chu, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist, who heads the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, to be the next energy secretary. He should have picked a street-fighter instead. Chu is making enormous contributions to nano-solar and bio-based energy technology. He’s also a strong believer in the need to combat global warming. But given his demeanor and his scientific background, it’s very likely that ExxonMobil, Peabody Coal and the rest of the dinosaur lobby will hand him his lunch.

By Ross Gelbspan

Her Son Died of a Rare Bone Cancer. Could Radioactive Fracking Waste Be to Blame?

ByJustin Nobel

onJun 18, 2026 @ 04:00 PDT

An on-the-ground investigation in Pennsylvania finds unprotected radioactive material next to a popular bike and walking trail.

Drilling in the Mouth of the Amazon: How Brazil’s Oil Giant Is Drowning Out Critics

ByTJ Jordan and Maria Clara Parente

onJun 17, 2026 @ 12:13 PDT

As fishing communities fight back, Petrobras is going all out to control the narrative, a DeSmog investigation finds.

Series: Holding the Advertising and Public Relations Industry Accountable for Greenwash and Climate Misinformation

Series: Advertising & PR Industry

Analysis

Why We Can’t Have Nice Things Like a Real Sovereign Wealth Fund

ByMitch Anderson

onJun 16, 2026 @ 09:39 PDT

Carney’s “Canada Strong” fund exposes the nation’s resource kryptonite: leaving critical decisions to local governments captured by industry interests.